Adjustable reclining chair



Aug. 9, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,948,331

ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 20, 1956 IN VEN TOR. FRIDTJOF F. SCHL/EPHA CKE A T TORNE Y Aug. 9, 1960 F. F. SCHLIEPHACKE 2,948,331

ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR Filed July 20', 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Z3 rmonorn SCHLIEPHACKE M a)? ATTORNEY ADJUSTABLE RECLINING CHAIR Filed July 20, 1956, Ser. No. 599,078 Claims. or. 155-100 The present invention relates to reclining chairs, and in particular to an improved reclining chair of the'type including a movable back-rest, seat and leg-rest which are coordinated with each other to include at least two distinct phases of chair movement.

The well-known reclining chair comprises a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat movably mounted on the support, a leg-rest mounted beneath the forward end of the seat and movable into various elevated leg-supporting positions, and appropriate linkage means coordinating the body-supporting unit and the leg-rest such that the leg-rest is elevated in response to the reclining movement of the chair. Heretofore, such chairs have been constructed either with a movable backrest and movable seat mounted on the support for reclining and inclining movement respectively or with a rigid seat and back-rest mounted on the support for movement as. a unit. Ch-airs incorporating both a movable back-rest and movable seat are suitable for complete and full relaxation in that, in response to the reclining movement, the anglebetween the back-rest and seat is increased to comfortably accommodate the chair occupant in a stretched out or fully reclined attitude. Chairs of. the type incorporating a rigid seat and back-rest, which may be manufactured somewhat more cheaply, are suitable for accommodating the chair occupant in a tilted-back position, but in a sitting attiude, with the occupants legs supported on the elevated leg-rest. The consumer, in purchasing the reclining chair, is often required to make a choice between these two basic types of chairs, depending upon the consumers needs.

Broadly it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved reclining chair which exhibits the attributes of chairs of the type incorporating a body-supporting unit including a movable back-rest and movable seat and chairs of the type incorporating a body-supporting unit including a rigid back-rest and seat. Specifically, it is within the contemplation of the present invention to provide an improved reclining chair which is constructed to have a first movement phase from a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position during which there is substantially no relative angular displacement between the back-rest and seat, and a second movement phase from the intermediate tilted orsemi-reclined position to a fully reclined position during which the backrest is angularly displaced relative to the seat. With this type of movement, which I refer to as a double-movement chair, the functional attributes. of chairs incorporating body-supporting units having a movable seat and backrest or a body-supporting unit having a rigid 'seat and 2,948,331 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 back-rest may be realized. Advantageously, the chair occupant may move to the intermediate or semi-reclined position wherein the body-supporting unit is tilted, with substantially no change in the angular displacement between the seat and back-rest and with the leg-rest elevated, which intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position is suitable for television viewing, sewing, reading, or the like. Further, the chair occupant may move the chair into various fully reclined positions wherein the angular relationship between the seat and back-rest is increased so that the chair occupant may be accommodated in a substantially stretched-out or fully reclined position, with the leg-rest remaining in an appropriate elevated position' supporting the legs.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment demonstrating features and advantages of the present invention, my improved reclining chair of the double movement type comprises a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat mounted on the support for reclining and inclining movement respectively, and means movably mounting the body-supporting unit on the support for a first movement phase from" a sitting position to an intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position during which there is substantially no relative angular displacement between the back-rest and seat and during which the leg-rest is elevated and for a second movement phase from the intermediate tilted or semireclined position to a fully reclined position during which the back-rest is angularly displaced relative to the seat, with the leg-rest remaining in a substantiallyelevated leg-supporting position. The mounting means; for the body-supporting unit includes a carrier mounted on the support for turning movement, with means releasably engaging the carrier and holding the carrier against turning movement during the first phase or portion of the reclining movement. An actuating member is mounted on the carrier for turning movement during the rfirst phase of the reclining movement, with a seat control being operatively connected to the actuating member and to the seat for inclining the seat in response to turning movement of the actuating member during said first phase of the reclining movement. Further leg-rest control means are operatively connected to the actuating member for elevating the leg-rest in re sponse to turning movement of the actuating member during the first phase of the reclining movement. Appropriate means are interconnected between the carrier and the actuating member and are effective to dis.-' engage the means which releasably engage the carrier at the end of the first phase of the reclining movement such that during a further phase or portion of the reclining movement the carrier is movable and'is effective to incline the seat. The arrangement issuch that the movement of the carrier, which in turn supports the actuating member during the second phase of the reclining movement, imparts the required inclination to the seat such that the desired angular relationship between the seat and back-rest is established during the second phase of the reclining movement, with the legrest being maintained in an elevated leg-supporting position. A

The above brief description, as well as further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully appreciated by reference to the following detailed description of several preferred, but illustrative, embodiments according to the present invention, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing a reclining chair of the double movement type embodying features of the present invention, with the chair shown in the upright or sitting position; v

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the reclining chair in the intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position, with the leg-rest moved to an elevated leg-supporting position in front of the seat;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the reclining chair in a fully reclined position wherein the seat and back-rest are angularly displaced relative to each other, with the leg-rest disposed in an elevated leg-supporting position in front of the seat;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view, with parts broken away and sectioned, showing a modified type of control linkage suitable for incorporation into a chair of the double movement type, the control linkage being illustrated with its parts in the relative positions corresponding to the upright or sitting position of the chair;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the parts of the linkage in the relative position corresponding to the semi-reclined or tilted position of the chair;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view similar to Fig. 4 but showing the parts of the linkage in the relative position corresponding to the fully reclined position of the chair; and

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a ball and socket type of releasable restraining means employed in the embodiment illustrated in Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive.

Referring now specifically to Figs. 1-3 of the drawings, there is shown a reclining chair demonstrating features of the present invention which includes a support or frame 15 upon which is movably mounted a body-supporting unit including a seat 21 mounted for inclining movement and a back-rest 19 mounted for reclining movement. Disposed beneath the forward end of the seat 21 is a leg-rest which is mounted for movement into various elevated leg-supporting positions in response to reclining movement of the chair.

Specifically the support or frame 15 includes opposed side walls or members 16 supported on appropriate depending legs 17 and each having anarm-rest 18. The side walls or members 16 are interconnected by a number of appropriate cross braces or cross pieces, such as the cross piece 51. The back-rest 19 is mounted for reclining movement at a backrest pivot 20 adjacent to the lower end of the back-rest, which back-rest pivot is suitably journaled on one of the cross-braces of the frame. The seat is mounted for inclining movement by means of rearwardly directed rigid hangers 22 pivotally connected to the back-rest 19 at the seat pivot 22 which is spaced above the back-rest '20. The leg-rest 54 is mounted below the forward end of the seat at a leg-rest pivot 64 by means of appropriate hanger arms 60, as will subsequently be described in detail.

In accordance with the present invention means movably mount the body-supporting unit which includes the back-rest 19 and the seat 21 and the leg-rest 54 on the support for a first movement phase from a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position during which the legrest is elevated and during which there is substantially no angular change between the back-rest and the seat and for a second movement phase from the intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position to a fully reclined position during which the leg-rest remains elevated and a substantial increase occurs in the angular relationship between the backrest and the seat. Specifically, the mounting means includes a carrier or carrier member 44 which is of substantially semi-circular configuration and is pivotally mounted on the support 15 for turning movement. The carrier 44 is mounted at a carrier pivot 45 on a bracket 49 fixed to the cross-brace -51 of the frame 15. Appropriate means releasably engage the carrier 44 and hold the carrier against turning during the first movement phase of the reclining chair. In this embodiment the release holding means is in the form of a spring biased detent or pawl member 48 which is pivotally mounted at the pivot 50 on the bracket 49 and is engaged in one of the positioning notches 46 provided on the semi-circular periphery of the carrier 44. As seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the detent or pawl member 48 is normally engaged in the rearmost positioning notch 46 and holds the carrier 44- in a substantially horizontally extending stationary position. Upon the application of a turning force to the carrier 44 as will be hereinafter described, the carrier 44 is released from its horizontally extending stationary position and turns such that its foremost end moves through and upwardly and rearwardly directed arc, with the final position of the carrier 44 being established by engagement of the detent or pawl member 48 in the forward positioning notch 46 on the carrier 44. In order to urge the pawl or detent member 48 into contact with the semi-circular peripheral surface of the carrier 44 and into the respective positioning notches 46, a leaf spring 52 is carried by the crossbrace '51 and bears against the detent or pawl member 48 to bias the same in the counter-clockwise direction about the pivot 50.

=Movably supported on the carrier 44 is an actuating member 30 which is mounted for turning movement at the pivot 42 on the carrier 44. The actuating member has operative connections to the back-rest 19, to the seat 21 and the leg-rest 54 for coordinating the movement of these chair components. Specifically, the actuating member 30 is provided with an integral arm or extension 32. Extending between the arm 32 and the seat 21 is a seat control link 36 which is normally disposed in a forwardly inclined position, having its lower and rearward end connected to the arm 32 at a pivotal connection34 and having its forward and upper end connected at a pivotal connection '38 on a bracket 40 secured to the cross-brace 41 of the seat '21. The actuating member 30 has a pivotal connection to a leg-rest control link 76 which has a pivotal connection 78 at its upper end to the hanger arm 60 for the leg-rest 54 at a point spaced forwardly of the pivot 64 of the hanger arm 60 on seat 21. In this illustrative embodiment, the leg-rest suspending and control arrangement includes a filler board or plate 65 disposed rearwardly of the upper end of the leg-rest and pivotally mounted thereon by a leaf hinge 66. Fixed to the undersurface of the filler board is a bracket which carries a rearwardly directed bracket extension 68 which has a pivotal connection 70 at its rearward end to the lower end of a suspending link 72, which in turn has a pivotal connection 74 at its upper end to the leg-rest control link 76. The lowermost end of the hanger arm 60 is formed with an elongated slot 59 and is coupled to the leg-rest at a point spaced from the hinge 66 by a connecting link 58 which has a pivotal connection 56 at its forward end to the leg-rest 54 and a pivotal connection 62 at its rearward end in the slot 59. Intermediate its ends, the hanger arm 60 has a pivotal connection 92 to the bracket 90 fixed to the filler plate 65. The leg-rest mounting and control linkage is completed by a further connecting link 86 which has a pivotal connection 84 at its upper end to a further bracket 82 fixed to the filler plate 65, the connecting link 86 being coupled to the connecting link 58 at the pivot 62. In response to a forward thrust imparted to the leg-rest control link 76, the hanger arm 60 turns forwardly about the pivot 64 to swing the leg-rest 54 and filler plate 65 through an upward and forward arc to the leg-supporting positions illustrated respectively in Figs. 2 and 3. As will be appreciated hereinafter other and different forms of leg-rest mounting or suspending linkages may be employed in the present chair of the double movement type. 7

Provision is made for turning the actuating member 30 about the pivotal mount 42 in response to the reclining movement of the back-rest 19 for inclining the seat 21 and elevating the leg-rest 54. In this form of the invention, a driver link 24 extends between the actuating member 30 and the back-rest 19 which has a pivotal connection 28 at its forward end to the actuating member 30 and a pivotal connection at the seat pivot 23' to the back-rest 19. Accordingly, in response to reclining movement of the back-rest 19, a rearwardly directed thrust is imparted via the driver link 24 to the actuating member 30 which turns the actuating member 30 about the pivotal mount 42. 7

Means are interconnected between the carrier 44 and the actuating member 30 which are efiective to disengage the pawl member 48 of the holding means after the first portion of the chair movement, such that the chair is in the intermediate reclining or tilted position illustrated in Fig. 2. In this illustrative embodiment, this disengaging means takes the form of a coordinating link 96 having a pivotal connection 94 at one end to the carrier 44 and having a pin and slot interconnection 98, 99 at its other end to the actuating member 30. At the start of chair movement the pin 98 is intermediate the ends of the slot 99. In response to the reclining movement of the chair, the pin 98 travels upward along the slot 99 through a lost motion stroke until such time as the pin 98' arrives at the upper end limit of the slot 99 (see Fig. 2). During the lost motion travel of the pin 98 of the coordinating link 96, the actuating member 30 is free to turn relative to the carrier 44. When the pin 98 arrives at the upper end of the slot 99 there is provided, at least momentarily, a binding connection between the carrier 44 and the actuating member 30. Thus when the chair occupant leans back with sufficient force (at a time when the carrier 44 and the actuating member are temporarily connected by the link 96 with the pin 98 at the upper limit of its travel in the slot 99) a suflicient turning force is developed about the pivotal mount 45 to release the detent or pawl member 48 such that the carrier 44 is freed to turn about the pivotal mount 45 of the carrier 44 on the support, with the pivotal mount 42 for the actuating member 30 moving through and upward in rearwardly directed arc, as may be appreciated by progressively inspecting Figs. 2 and 3.

It will thus be appreciated that the limit of travel of the pin 98 in the slot 99 establishes the end of the first motion phase of the chair movement. During the second 'motion phase the actuating member30 maintains substantially the same relative position in relation to the seat control link 36 and to the leg-rest control link 76 and there is little or no movement of the seat 21 and leg-rest 54 relative to each other. However, the actuating member 30 is elevated (note the respective relative positions of the pivots 42 and 45 in Figs. 2 and 3) to change the inclination of the seat 21 relative to the backrest 19 during the second phase of the chair movement. The final or fully reclined position of the chair is established when the carrier 44turns aboutthe pivotal mount 45 to a position wherein the pawl member 48' engages the foremost positioning notch 46, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fro m the foregoing it will be appreciated that the main control linkage of the reclining chair provides first and second mounting linkages which operate in sequence to produce the coordinated movement of the back-rest,

seat and leg-rest of the re clining chair. During the first phase of the reclining movement between the sitting position of Fig. 1 and the intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position in Fig. 2, a mounting linkage is provided which includes as the stationary link thereof the portion of ithe support intermediate-the, back-restpivot 20v and the pivotal mount 42 of the actuating member 30 on the carrier 44' and as movable links'thereof the seat control intermediate the pivot 42 and the pivot 38, the portion of the seat intermediate the pivot 38 and the seat pivot 23, and the portion of the back-rest intermediate the pivots 23, 20. During the second phase of the reclining movement after release of carrier member 44, a second mounting linkage is provided which includes as the stationary link thereof theportion of the support intermediate the pivots 20, 45 and as movable links thereof the seat control link intermediate the pivot 45 and the pivot 38, the portion of the seat intermediate the pivots 38, 23 and the portion of the back-rest intermediate the pivots 20, 23. The respective mounting linkages pro vided by the main mounting linkage and which are operative during the first and second phases of chair movement have their links proportioned such as to achieve the requisite coordination of the movement of the backrest, seat and leg-rest. 1

In order to facilitate a more thorough understanding of the invention, a typical sequence of operations of my improved double movement type of reclining chair will now be described in detail: I

When the chair occupant is seated and leans rearwardly, the back-rest 19 begins to translate through a rearward and then downward are about the back-rest pivot 20. This causes a rearwardly directed force to be applied to the driver link 24 which via its pivotal connection to the actuating member 30 causes the actuating member -30 to turn about its pivotal mount 42 on the carrier member 44. This imparts an inclination to the seat such that the angle between the seat and back-rest does not substantially change as the chair moves into the intermediate tilted position and also elevates the leg-rest to the required leg-supporting position forwardly of the seat. Further, during the first phase of the reclining movement the pin 98 of the coordinating link 96 travels upwardly along the slot 99 as the actuating member 30 turns about the pivot 42. When the pin reaches the limit of its travel, a temporary interconnection is provided between the actuating member 30 and the carrier member 44 and accordingly in response to further rearwardmovement of the back-rest, a sufficient forceis developed to cause the. carrier member 44 to turn about the pivot 45, with release of the detent member 48, to thereby establish the mounting linkage which is operative during the second phase of the reclining movement.

As the chair occupant continues to push against the back:

' second phase of reclining movement it will be appreciated that the pin 98 travels down the slot' 99 from the limit position, as illustrated in Fig. 2, through a return lost motion travel to a position intermediate the ends of the slot, as illustrated in Fig. 3.

To restore the chair to the upright sitting position it is merely necessary for the chair occupant to lean forwardly and apply a force, against the leg-rest to start the chair through a reverse sequence of operations going through the intermediate tilted or semi-reclined position of Fig. 2 and finally arriving at the upright sitting position of Fig. 1.

In Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive, there is shown a modified type of control linkage suitable for incorporation into the double movement type of chair illustrated in detail in Figs. lto 3 inclusive. In this modification, the carrier Zmember 108 is mounted on the cross-brace 106 by means of a bracket 104 at a pivotal mount 103. As before, the

carrier member 108 has mounted thereon an actuating 'member 30b which is adapted to turn about the pivot 1 118 in, response .to a rearwardly, directed pulling force applied to the driver link 24b which is connected to the back-rest. The actuating member 30b has an integral extension 321; which has a pivotal connection 34b to the seat control link 36b which has a pivot connection 38b at its upper end to a bracket 40!) fixed to the seat. Still further, the actuating member 3% has an operative connection to the legt-rest control link 7 6b.

- In this form of the invention, the means which releasably engages the carrier 108 and restrains the same against turning movement relative to the support about the pivotal mount 103, takes the form of a spring biased ball 112 which is engaged within a substantially cylindrical housing 116 fixed to an extension 102 of the bracket 104. The ball 112 is biased into the rearmost one of two shallow semicylindrical sockets 1-10 formed in the adjacent confronting face of the carrier 108. The shallow sockets 110 formed on the carrier 108 are located at positions on the carrier to serve essentially the same function as the positioning notches 46 of the main embodiment. Normally, the ball 112 is seated in the rearmost one of the sockets 110 to maintain the carrier member in a substantially horizontally extending stationary position as is illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5. In response to blocking of the coordinating link 96b upon temporary binding of the actuating member 301) and the carrier member 108 incident to pin 98b on the coordinating link 96b reaching the limit of its travel in slot 9% (see Fig. a sufficient force is developed to free the spring biased ball 112 from the seated position within the rearward socket on the carrier member 108 such that the carrier member 108 is free to turn about the pivotal mount 1% until the ball seats in the forward socket, as is illustrated in Fig. 6.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the coordinating linkage of the present invention incorporates a first guiding means which is pivotally mounted on the support and a second guiding means which is pivotally mounted on the first guiding means, with respective means connecting the second guiding means to the back-rest and seat for the purposes of coordinating these components of the chair. Means temporarily restraining the first guiding means against movement relative to the support such that the second guiding means alone is effective to impart a prescribed inclination to the seat, with means being responsive to the movement of the backrest into a prescribed intermediate position for releasing the first guided means 'whereby the first and second guided means together are effective to impart a prescribed inclination to the seat. In the illustrative forms of the invention, the actuating member and seat-control link between the pivotal mount 42 and the pivot connection 38 serves as a guiding means during the first phase or portion of the reclining movement, while the portion of the carrier member and the actuating member between the pivot 45 and the pivot connection 38 serve as the guiding means during the second phase or portion of the reclining movement.

A latitude of modification, change and substitution is intended in the foregoing disclosure and in some instances some features of the invention will be employed without a corresponding use of other features. Accordingly it is appropriate that the appended claims be construed broadly and in a manner consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention herein.

Having fully described my invention, I claim:

1. In a reclining chair, a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat adapted to be mounted on said support for reclining and inclining movement respectively, and means movably mounting said body-supporting unit on said support including a carrier mounted on said support for turning movement, means releasably'engaging said carrier and holding said carrier against turning movement during a first portion of chair movement, an actuating member mounted on said carrier for turning movement, a seat control operatively connected to said actuating member and to said seat for inclining .said seat in response to turning movement of said actuating member, means interconnected between said carrier and said actuating member and efiiective to disengage the holding means after said first portion of chair movement, turning movement of said carrier during a further portion of said chair movement being effective to further incline said seat, and means operatively connected between said body-supporting unit and said actuating memher for efiecting turning movement of the latter in response to said reclining movement.

2. In a reclining chair, a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat, and means movably mounting said body-supporting unit on said support for a first movemenet phase from a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position and for a second movement phase from said tilted position to a reclining position, the mounting means including a carrier mounted on said support for turning movement, means releasably engaging said carrier and holding said carrier against turning movement during said first movement phase, an actuating member mounted on said carrier for turning movement, a seat control operatively connected to said actuating member and to said seat for inclining said seat in response to tuming movement of said actuating member, means interconnected between said carrier and said actuating member and eifective to disengage the holding means to thereby establish the end of said first movement phase, turning movement of said carrier during said second movement phase beeingelfective to further incline said seat, and means operatively connected between said body-supporting unit and said actuating member for effecting turning movement of the latter in response to said reclining movement.

3. In a reclining chair, a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat, and means movably mounting said body-supporting unit on said support for a first movement phase from a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position and for a second movement phase from said tilted position to a reclining position, the mounting means including a carrier mounted on said support for turning movement, means releasably engaging said carrier and holding said carrier against turning movement during said first movement phase, an actuating member mounted on said carrier for turning movement, a seat control operatively connected to said actuating member and to said seat for inclining said seat in response to turning movement of said actuating member, means interconnected between said carrier and said actuating member and effective to disengage the holding means to thereby establish the end of said first movement phase, turning movement of said carrier during said second movement phase being effective to further incline said seat, means operatively connected between said body-supporting unit and said actuating member for effecting turning movement of the latter in response to said reclining movement, a leg-rest mounted beneath said seat for movement to various elevated leg-supporting positions, and means operatively connected between said actuating member and said leg-rest for elevating said leg-rest in response to turning movement of said actuating member.

4. In a reclining chair, a support, a body-supporting unit including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support for inclining and reclining movement respectively, and means for controlling the inclining movement of said seat as a function of said reclining movement of said back-rest, said controlling means including first guide means pivotally mounted on said support, second guide means pivotally mounted on said first guide means, re spective means connecting said second guiding means to said back-rest and to said seat, means for temporarily restraining said first guide means against movement relative to said support such that said second guide means alone is effective to impart a prescribed inclination to said seat, and means responsive to the movement of said back-rest into a prescribed position for releasing said first guide means whereby said first and second guide means together are efiec 've to imparta prescribed inclination to said seat.

5. In a reclining chair, a support, a body-supportmg unit including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support for inclining and reclining movement respectively, and means for controlling the inclining movement of said seat as a function of said reclining movement of said back-rest, said controlling means including first guide means pivotally mounted on said support, second guide means pivotally mounted on said first guide means, respectivemean s connecting said second guiding means to said back-rest and to said seat, means for temporarily restraining said first guide means against movement relative to said support such that said second guide means alone is effective to impart a prescribed inclination to said sea-t, means responsive to the movement of said backrest into a prescribed position for releasing said first guide means whereby said first and second guide means together are eifective to impart a prescribed inclination to said seat, a leg-rest, means mounting said leg-rest below said seat for movement to various elevated leg-supporting positions, and means connecting said leg-rest to said second guide means such that said leg-rest is elevated in response to movement of said back-rest into said prescribed position.

6. A reclining chair comprising a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest, seat and leg-rest, means pivotally mounting said back-rest on said support for reclining movement, means pivotally mounting said seat on said back-rest at a point spaced above the pivot of said back-rest on said support for inclining movement, means mounting said leg-rest for movement into various elevated leg-supporting positions, said body-supporting unit being mounted on said support for a first movement phase from a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position and for a second movement phase from said tilted position to a reclining position, a carrier mounted on said support for turning movement, holding means releasably engaging said carrier against turning movement during said first movement phase, an actuating member mounted on said carrier, a seat control operatively connected to said actuating member and to said seat for inclining said seat in response to turning movement of said actuating member, a leg-rest control operatively connected to said'actuating member for elevating said leg-rest in response to turning movement of said actuating member, means interconneoted between said carrier and said actuating member and effective to disengage said holding means to thereby establish the end of said first movement phase, turning movement of said carrier during said second movement phase being efieotive to further incline said seat and elevate said leg-rest with substantially no relative movement between said seat and leg-rest, and means operatively connected between said body-supporting unit and said actuating member for efiecting turning movement of the latter in response to said reclining movement.

7. A reclining chair comprising a support, a body-supporting unit including a back-rest and seat, means pivotally mounting said back-rest on said support for reclining movement, means pivotally mounting said seat on said back-rest at a point spaced above the pivot of said backrest on said support, said body-supporting unit being mounted on said support for a first movement phase firom a sitting position to an intermediate tilted position and for a second movement phase from said tilted position to a reclining position, a control linkage mechanism including said seat as a first movable link thereof, the portion of said back-rest between the pivot of said back-rest on said support and the pivot of said seat on said back-rest as a second movable link thereof, and third and fourth movable links connected for pivotal movement relative to each other and having pivotal connections to said seat and said support respectively, means for constraining said fourth movable link during first movement phase, a leg- 10 7 rest, a leg-rest control operatively connected to said legrest and actuated by said third movable link to bring said leg-rest to an elevated position in response to movement through said first movement phase, and means operable upon movement of said body-supporting unit from said intermediate tilted position to said reclining position for releasing the constraining means on said fourth movable link during said second movement phase.

8. In a reclining chair, a support, body-supporting means including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support'for inclining and reclining movement respectively, and means for controlling the inclining movement of the seat as a function of said reclining movement of said back-rest, said controlling means including first guide means movably mounted on said support, second guide means 'movably mounted on said first guide means, seat control means operatively connected to said second guiding means and to said seat, actuating means operatively connected to said back-rest and to said second guide means for moving said second guide means in response to the reclining movement of said back-rest, means for temporarily restraining said first guide means such that the movement of said second guidemeans alone is efiective to impart a first prescribed inclination to said seat, and means responsive to the movement of said back-rest into a prescribed position for releasing said first guide means whereby the movement of said first and second guide means together is elfective to impart a second prescribed inclination to said seat.

9. In a reclining chair, a support, body-supporting means including a seat and back-rest mounted on said support for inclining and reclining movement respectively, and means for controlling the inclining movement of said seat as a function of said reclining movement of said back-rest, said controlling means including first guide means pivotally mounted on said support, second guide means pivotally mounted on said first guide means, a seat control link pivotally connected to said second guiding means and to said seat, actuating means pivotally connected to said back-rest and to said second guide means for moving said second guide means in response to the reclining movement of said back-rest, means for temporarily restraining said first guide means such that the movement of said second guide means alone is eifective to impart a first prescribed inclination to said seat, and means responsive to the movement of said backrest into a prescribed position for releasing said first guide means whereby the movement of said first and second guide means together is effective to impart a second prescribed inclination to said seat.

10. In a reclining chair, a support, body-supporting means including a seat and back-rest, means pivotally mounting said back-rest on said support at a back-rest pivot for reclining movement, means pivotally mounting said seat on said back-rest at a seat pivot spaced above said back-rest pivot for inclining movement, and means for controlling the inclining movement of said seat as a function of said reclining movement of said seat as a function of said reclining movement of said back-rest to establish a first movement phase from a sitting position to an intermediate position during which there is substantially no angular displacement between said seat and back-rest and a second movement phase from said intermediate position to a reclining position during which there is an increasing angular displacement between said seat and back-rest, said controlling means including first guide means movably mounted on said support, second guide means movably mounted on said first guide means, seat control means connecting said second guiding means to said seat, means operative during said first movement phase for temporarily restraining said first guide means against movement relative to said support such that said second guide means alone is eifective during said first movement phase to impart a first prescribed inclination to said seat, actuating means controlled from said back- 11 rest and operatively connected to said second guide means for moving said second guide means in response to the reclining movement of said back-rest, means responsive to the reclining movement of said back-rest at the start of said second movement phase for releasing 5 said first guide means whereby said first and second guide means together move in response to the reclining movement of said back-rest and are effective during said second movement phase to impart a second prescribed inclination to said seat, a leg-rest, means mounting said leg-rest below said seat for movement to various elevated leg-supporting positions, and means connecting said legrest to said second guide means such that said legrest is elevatedin response to movement of said bodysupporting means into said intermediate position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,615,496 Lorenz et a1 Oct. 28, 1952 2,672,919 Luckhardt Mar. 23, 1954 2,782,836 Kra-kaver Feb. 26, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 683,042 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1952 

